Wednesday 2 November 2011

Protest against government spending cuts planned by Irish community groups


An alliance of Irish community groups is planning to stage a December protest against what it sees as “savage economic injustices”.

Following a similar event in December 2010, the "Spectacle of Defiance and Hope" alliance are again planning to draw public attention to government spending cuts, which the group members insist will either negatively impact service provision, or close some vital community projects entirely.

On 3 December 2011, all involved community groups will be participating in its “Dublin Main Spectacle Event” – a protest march in the heart of Dublin City which the participants will use as an opportunity to “express their opposition” to what they regard as a “process of blatant coercion and forced inequality”.

In preparation for the event, the alliance is currently inviting citizens from all over Ireland to send them their personal messages of objection to the budget cuts so that these messages may be included in various “Books of Grievances and Hope”.

The idea behind the books was inspired by the “Cahiers de DolĂ©ances” – a similar list of grievances which King Louis XVI ordered to be compiled in 1798 prior to the beginning of the French Revolution.

The protest will commence at 2pm on 3 December from Castle Street, Dublin.